This invention relates generally to a dispensing carton. More particularly, it relates to a dispensing carton which is capable of being formed from a single-piece blank of foldable paperboard and has a measuring or metered dispensing chamber therein and is provided with a new and useful reclosable, slide valve opening. The various elements making up the entire carton are included in, and, some are separable from, the blank. In other words, the side walls, the end walls, and the flaps thereof, including the opening tabs and the slide valve removable therefrom, and the panels making up the measuring chamber are all included in the blank as initially formed.
In the practice of manufacturing packages for granular substances, particularly powder soaps and detergents of the types intended for use in modern automatic washing machines, as well as other similar flowable materials for home use, various means have been provided for dispensing predetermined amounts of such substances, in substantially exact quantities, as they are poured from the carton. In addition to providing more simplified means for dispensing such predetermined amounts, it has become more essential that such cartons be provided with reliable and reusable means for opening and closing the discharge opening thereof. Such means would have to be secure and capable of adequately protecting the contents of the cartons from dust and other forms of contamination. More importantly, any movable component included in such means should be secured beyond the extent of its intended movement. In order to meet the foregoing requirements, such discharge openings must be designed so as to avoid any inadvertent destruction of the carton as a result of the intended continuous usage thereof.
Since the manufacturer of powdered soaps, detergents, and other pourable granular substances to be packaged usually assembles the carton, either manually or by means of appropriate machines, into its desired erected form, the original form of the carton construction which he receives is another important factor to be considered. Obviously, the task of the manufacturer of the goods to be packaged is complicated if he is required, to any considerable extent, to rely on the use of extraneous means such as staples, straps, rivets, etc., in order to assemble and secure the carton in its desired form. Therefore, simplicity of the carton blank design is a very important factor. These problems are resolved by incorporating into the blank all of the necessary members and by minimizing the use and cost of the most reliable and most efficient means by which the carton is to be secured in its desired erected form.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a dispensing carton having a measuring chamber therein and a "locked-in" reclosable discharge opening therefor. It is another object of this invention to provide a metered dispensing carton which has a novel "locked-in" reclosable discharge opening and is capable of being formed from a single-piece paperboard blank; the operating means for opening and closing said "locked-in" reclosable discharge opening being comprised of a push-pull, slide valve which is included in the carton blank construction. Another object of this invention is to provide a metered dispensing carton of the foregoing description which as a dust-resistant, reclosable discharge opening.
With these and other objects in view, the nature of which will become more apparent, the invention will be more fully understood by reference to the attached drawings, the accompanying detailed description and the appended claims.
The dispensing carton, in accordance with this invention, is formed by folding a unitary paperboard blank along score lines into, preferably, a substantially rectangular construction which is secured by means of glue applied in designated areas. The measuring chamber therein and the novel reclosable discharge opening mechanism therefor are integrally included in the blank, with separate glue means being provided for securing the measuring chamber, in its intended form, within the erected carton.
The novel means for operating the reclosable discharge opening is comprised of an assembly of overlapping flaps and an underlying flap, having a push-pull slide valve member interposed therebetween. Both the underlying flap and the slide valve situated thereon are provided with apertures which are aligned, when the reclosable discharge opening is in the open position. The slide valve member is provided with a pull tab at one end which is tapered in the direction toward the tab end. The substantially trapezoidal design of the novel slide valve member is such that it allows the slide to become virtually locked in place while wedged between the overlapping flaps and the underlying flap, thereby preventing the inadvertent withdrawal of the slide valve from the dispensing carton.